First Lady Sajidha Mohamed has stressed the need to tackle waste pollution at its source, highlighting the importance of protecting marine environments through greater producer responsibility and sustainable waste management.
She made the remarks at the High-Level Meeting of the Global Zero Waste Alliance in Antalya, Türkiye, during the President’s official visit to attend COP31.
Hosted by Türkiye’s First Lady Emine Erdoğan, the meeting brought together spouses of world leaders to promote international cooperation in sustainable waste management and environmental protection.
In her remarks, the First Lady highlighted the harmful effects of marine litter on coral reefs, marine life and the food chain, stressing that waste does not simply disappear once discarded.
She stressed that responsibility should not end at the point of sale, calling for greater producer responsibility, sustainable packaging, innovative technologies and accessible financing to support the transition to a circular economy.
The First Lady also emphasised the role of families, schools and communities in driving lasting change, particularly by empowering children to become guardians of a cleaner planet.
The discussions underscored the shared responsibility of governments, producers and communities in reducing waste impacts on vulnerable marine ecosystems.
